Fluid distensible actuating means for clutches and brakes



RAKES T. L. FAWICK March 30, 1954 FLUID DISTENSIBLE ACTUATING MEANS FOR CLUTCHES AND B Filed Nov. 27, 1951 Ill/1,:

F/GZ

INVENTOR. moms L. FAMc/r ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 30,r 1954 FLUID DISTENSIBLE ACTUATIN G MEANS FOR CLUTCHES AND BRAKES Thomas L. Fawick, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Federal Fawick Corporation,

a corporation of Michigan Application November 27, 1951, Serial No. 258,488 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-784) This invention relates tothe construction of Huid-distensible annular bag assemblies for use in clutches and in brakes for electing and discontinuing the frictional engagements of two relatively rotatable structures.

Its chief objects are to provide, in such an assembly, some or all of the advantages of economy of construction, facility of assembly and disassembly, compactness of structure, lightness, and durability.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an axially-extending cross-section of a bag assembly embodying my invention in its preferred form.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The annular rubber bag, here shown as being of the inwardly-distending, constricting type, is shown at I as having a cord reinforcement II, and as having mounted upon it a set of wear shoes I2, I2, held to the bag by anchoring ribs I2, I2a formed on the bases of the respective shoes and snapped into respective complemental grooves or recesses molded in the external face of the inner-periphery of the bag.

The bag is of outwardly open U shape in crosssection and 1s of a size to nt snugly about and against the external face of an outwardly open U shaped metal base member I3, preferably of rolled sheet-metal.

The side Walls of the bag are formed with anchoring beads extending along their annular margins. For clamping and sealing these bead portions of the bag to the margins of the legs of the U shaped metal base member I3, respective clamping rings I5, I5 of inwardly open channel form, preferably of rolled sheet-metal, are mounted upon the respective pairs of bag and base margins. If it is desired to use clamping rings I5 of endless form the axially inner margin I5a of each can be initially a continuation of the transversely at outer peripheral portion of the ring, for sliding of the ring axially into place upon the members to be clamped, and this margin I5a can then be crimped or bent inwardly, to the clamping position in which it is shown. To facilitate this operation the flanges I5a, I5a can be formed with notches I5b, I5b extending inward from their free edges, to provide bendable lingers |50, I5c as in the case of some types of hose clamps.

For securing the bag I0 in proper centered relation to a flywheel I 6 or torque sustaining support, for example, the :Hy wheel is formed with an inwardly facing centering shoulder I1, within which the adjacent clamped-margin assembly lits and is held, with further compression of the clamped-margin assembly, by two semi-circular clamping plates I8, I8 secured to the fly-Wheel I6 by bolts I9, I9.

- To compel the bag assembly to rotate with the flywheel, a circumferentially spaced set of studs such as the stud 20 or interlock means project from the inner side face of the adjacent leg of the U-shaped base member I3, into respective notches such as the notch 2| formed in the radially inner margins of the clamping plates I8, I 8.

In the other one of the clamped-margin assemblies the clamping ring I5, either with or Without its axially inner margin serrated and subsequently bent as above described, can be transversely split as at 22, Fig. 2, and there provided with a toggle-clamp 23 of a type that is commonly used for tightening of a clamping band upon a hose or the like. This permits the ring to be mounted even though it is previously given the inwardly open channel form in which it is shown.

The bag assembly is shown as being provided with a pressure-fluid supply conduit 24 leading from a suitable control valve and rotary-seal (not shown), and through a quick-release valve 24a, of which there are several well known types, for quick Venting of the bag directly to the atmosphere upon lowering of the pressure in the supply conduit 24.

As the inner face of the bag, throughout nearly all of its extent, fits snugly against the metal base member I3 as above stated, for small volumetric capacity of the bag, to provide quick distension and retraction of the bag, it is desirable that a fluid-distributing and collecting system of grooves, comprising transverse grooves 25, 25 and longitudinal grooves 26, 26, be provided, as by molding, in the inner face of the bag.

The base-and-bag assembly, comprising the U-shaped base member I3 and the channel rings I5, I 5 has such strength and rigidity that the said assembly can be mounted, with facility of mounting and demounting, by clamping one of the composite marginal ilanges of the assembly to the ily-wheel I6 as the only support of the base-andbag assembly. This is a distinct advantage in the matter of assembly and disassembly, as in the case of repair or replacement of parts.

Modications are possible without sacrice of all of the advantages set out in the above statement of objects and Without departure from the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid-distensible actuating assembly for a clutch or a brake, said assembly comprising an annular base member of U-shape in cross-section, a fiuid-distensible annular bag of U-shape in cross-section fitting about and .substantially against the exterior-face of the U-shaped base, and means other than the base for clamping each annular margin of the bag to the adjacent annular margin of the base, in combination with a torque-sustaining support and means clamping one margin of the dened assembly ..to ,.the said support as the primary torque-sustainingconnection between the said assemblyfand vthe said support.

2. A fiuid-distensible actuating assembly for a clutch or a brake, said assemblycomprising .fan annular base member of U-shape in cross-section, a uid-distensible annular bag of U-shape in cross-section extending about the exterior face off-the U-shaped base, and means clamping-one annular margin of .the bag to the adjacent annular margin of the base, the assembly including a torque-sustaining support and means 'clamping lsecond-mentioned clamping means comprises means clamping one of the said rings to the said support.

.4. vAnfassembly as dened in claim 2 and including vinterlock means preventing relative rotation .ofnthesaidlbase and the said support.

THOMAS L. FAWICK.

,References .Ctedlin the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date .1,924,888 .Tatter Aug..29, :1933 2,251,444 Fawick Aug.'5, 1941 2,394,494 Fawick i May. 23,.:1944 2,574,574 .Ives :Noyn 13, :1951 

